The Arrival: A Sci-Fi Alien Warrior Paranormal Romance (23 page)

It had been a year, and he was still there. Still by her side. When she woke up in the middle of the night, dreaming of screeching and horribly twisted faces, he was there, reaching for her before she could even say anything. With her face tucked against his chest and his arms around her, she felt that same feeling of safety and security that she’d felt the first time he’d wrapped her up, and it made her even happier that he’d decided to stay with her.

The drive back was quiet, but comfortably so, and by now Abby recognized the look Sorrin got on his face when he was lost in thought. She played the radio softly, humming along to a popular song, tapping her fingers on the steering wheel as she drove.

“Your parents are bonded, yes?” Sorrin asked suddenly, and she looked up.

“Bonded? I guess so. Married, we call it here.”

“Married,” Sorrin repeated. “That’s for life?”

Abby chuckled. “Supposedly. That’s what the promise is supposed to be, but it doesn’t always work out, you know? Some people just don’t work together.”

“And when they do?”

“Then they’re like my parents, I guess. Married—or bonded—for life.”

Sorrin was quiet for a moment more before he spoke again. “Did you think about getting...married when you were younger?”

“Mm, sometimes. I think everyone does. Especially little girls, I guess. You dream about your dress and your flowers and what your husband will look like. Everyone I knew when I was like ten had at least one fake wedding. Why, did you?”

He inclined his head, more so than it was already. “In a way. I thought about having someone to protect. Someone who would need me. Who I would die to keep safe.”

“Jeez. You warrior types are always so extreme.”

Sorrin shrugged a shoulder. “It is our way.”

“Apparently. Anyway, why?”

“Would you like to get married?”

Honestly, it was a wonder she didn’t swerve off the road at the question. “
What
?”

“To me, specifically,” Sorrin clarified. “We’ve been...close for a long time.”

“We have…” Abby admitted, chancing a glance over at him before she put her eyes back on the road. “I’m not sure you know what you’re asking.”

He gave her a look. “I’m not ignorant,” Sorrin said. “I know what it means to be bonded where I come from, and I have seen your parents. I understand, I think, how it works here. It is for life. That’s what I want here. Earth is a place of opportunity and growth and change, but I am still here for you. Because I want to be with you. Is that not what marriage is supposed to be based on?”

Abby was speechless, but she couldn’t deny that he had the gist of it. She let her breath out in a messy whoosh of air, unsure of what to say. Did she want to stay with Sorrin? Yes, yes she did. He was everything she could have dreamed of in a fantasy husband. Strong, kind, protecting. He listened to her and made her feel like she mattered. Even after what she had done, he’d let her back into his life and trusted her again. What they had now was beyond her wildest dreams for how this would have turned out.

Her, the one with the plans and goals and ambitions, caught off guard by how things had ended up.

She realized Sorrin was still waiting for an answer.

“Yeah,” Abby said finally, a smile spreading across her face. “I think I’d like that a lot.”

About the Author

Ashley West was raised in a small Midwest town. She has always been a big fan of science fiction and paranormal books and movies. Her all-time favorite movies are the first three Star Wars movies. She started writing at a young age and has not looked back since. Ashley brings her worlds to life with vivid details and likeable characters.

On her spare time, she enjoys painting, jogging, and curling up next to her favorite books. If you enjoy Ashley’s titles and wish to receive
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Publisher's Notes

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This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.

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